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Martin County, Florida
Endorsed by ACFHP in 2024
Florida’s Martin County Board of County Commissioners aims to restore approximately 600 acres of seagrass habitat in the southern Indian River Lagoon, FL. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) on Florida’s east coast is North America’s most diverse estuary, home to 53 threatened and endangered species reliant on seagrass meadows. Unfortunately, seagrass populations have been declining due to harmful algal blooms (HABs), poor water quality, sea level rise, and severe weather events, leading to two manatee mass mortality events. Martin County aims to reverse this trend by applying nature-based solutions (NBS) to establish self-sustaining seagrass communities and create a model for successful restoration. This project supports the IRL National Estuary Program (IRLNEP) restoration goals and applies three innovative NBS techniques to address seagrass habitat loss: outplanting shoal grass, mechanically removing harmful Lyngbya bacteria, and using clams to detoxify and stabilize sediments. The project targets the restoration of approximately 600 acres of seagrass meadows and is situated in state-owned waters, east of the Intracoastal Waterway, one mile north of the St. Lucie Inlet. Extensive restoration planning and design have been completed, with 90% final design and prioritization in place. This initiative will yield substantial, measurable outcomes and serve as a template for other estuarine restoration efforts nationwide.
Text and photos provided by the Martin County Board of County Commissioners